Typically, in-situ dental restorations are limited to preparing existing dental structure for receiving a dental prosthetic, such as an inlay, onlay, crown, bridge or veneer that is prepared outside of the subjects mouth from a dental impression of the prepared existing dental structure. The conventional process involves preparing the dental structure for a prosthetic, obtaining an impression of the existing dental structure that has been prepared for receiving a prosthetic, providing a temporary or provisional restoration, preparing a prosthetic from the impression, removing the temporary restoration, installing the prosthetic, and optionally making minor adjustments to the restored structure during the installation step. There are certain disadvantages associated with these conventional dental restoration techniques. Most notably, the subject is usually required to visit the dentist at least twice, and endure an often unsightly and sometimes uncomfortable temporary restoration for several days or even weeks.
Advanced dental restoration techniques involving only a single visit have been developed. For example, the Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics (CEREC) dental restoration technique allows a dental practitioner to use three-dimensional photography, along with computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM). In this technique, an optical or virtual impression of the dental structure that has been prepared for receiving a restoration is generated using a digital camera that generates image data that is subsequently processed and manipulated such as by using biogeneric comparisons to develop a three-dimensional virtual model of the restoration. The restoration can be manufactured by milling a solid block of ceramic material using diamond burs. The completed restoration is then bonded to the existing dental structure using a resin cement. The entire process can be completed in a single visit in many cases involving a simple restoration. Even relatively complex restorations can often be completed within the same day or on two consecutive days.
My U.S. Pat. No. 7,217,131 describes an in-situ dental restoration method and kit in which a dental restoration or prosthesis is formed within a subject's mouth by preparing selected dental structure for application of a restoration, fitting a mold over the teeth that are to be restored, the mold defining a space that is filled with a fluid, curable composition, curing the composition, and removing the mold to provide a restored dental structure. The disclosed process can involve preparation of a waxed-up model of a planned restoration of the existing teeth and preparation of a mold from the waxed-up model. These steps generally involve a substantial amount of hands-on manipulations by a dentist or a dental laboratory technician, and cannot typically be completed in a single visit or even on the same day.
My U.S. Pat. No. 8,366,445 describes an improved in-situ dental restoration method in which a camera is used to obtain digital images of an existing dental structure to generate a first three-dimensional digital model of existing dental structure that is modified to generate a second three-dimensional digital model of a planned structure. A dental mold is prepared corresponding to the specifications of the second digital model. The mold is fitted over the existing dental structure to be restored, and a void volume defined between the existing dental structure and the internal walls of the mold is filled with a liquid, curable composition that is subsequently cured. The mold is then removed to provide a restored dental structure. This process eliminates the need for a waxed-up model. However, the process still requires preparation of a mold, and usually involves substantial time and labor, such that the entire process cannot usually be completed in a single visit or on consecutive days.